Tragically there have been ten overdose fatalities in the past week in Manchester. It is hard to comprehend this loss of life. We wish to express our deepest sympathies to the loved ones of those that have passed.
For those with Substance Use Disorder, harm reduction services save lives. Harm Reduction strategies have been utilized for decades to decrease the morbidity and mortality of those who will not or cannot abstain from risky behaviors including licit and illicit substance use. More specifically the risks associated with injecting substances can be decreased by deploying Harm Reduction strategies. The Greater Manchester Region has tremendous resources currently in place to organize and collaborate on the provision of services and the implementation of Harm Reduction strategies in their area. By formalizing and implementing strategies with intention in the area, the health of the community will improve, and the detrimental impact up to and including the loss of life will be reduced.
We also want to share some of those resources for folks that are seeking support during these challenging times:
- If you are actively using substances in the Manchester area, know that there is a potentially fatal product in circulation. Please learn more about this issue here Health Department warns of ‘overdose fatality spike,’ citing 7 fatal ODs in 48 hours | Manchester Ink Link
- Never Use Alone. Call 800-484-3731 Never Use Alone’s toll-free nationwide overdose prevention, detection, crisis response, and reversal lifeline services for people who use drugs alone. Never Use Alone volunteer operators receive phone calls from people who use substances while alone in their car, home, public restroom, work, and elsewhere. Our peer support operators are trained in substance use safety plans based on the method of consumption, how to detect an adverse drug event and to contact local EMS who assist in reversing acute medical conditions. Today, Never Use Alone provides bilingual English and Spanish overdose prevention services at no cost. NUA has received over 16,000 calls, and detected and safely reversed 88 adverse drug events. We provide substance use harm reduction outreach, advocacy, education, and training to people who use drugs, their caregivers, and community stakeholders. Never Use Alone overdose prevention services save lives!
- Harm reduction resources such as fentanyl test strips and Narcan are widely available. If you, or a loved one, needs these supplies, please contact Andrew Warner, Director of Overdose Prevention at 603-657-0826 or [email protected]
- If you suspect an overdose, please call 911 immediately. If you need resources regarding how to respond and provide providing support to those actively using substances check out the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition https://www.nhhrc.org/copy-of-education
- Individuals seeking immediate substance use treatment services for themselves, patients, or loved ones can now access care in Manchester after hours and throughout the weekend by calling the Doorway of Greater Manchester, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at 603-606-1090 or by calling 2-1-1.
- Connecting people to mental health services is a critical piece of harm reduction. If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health issues you can reach out to the NH Rapid Response Access Point for local support at 833-710-6477. The New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point provides the support you want in your time of need. If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health or substance, use crisis, you can call and speak to a trained and caring staff. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – including holidays. Contact by phone, text, or chat to access vital support services when you need them most. This line is NH-specific, and your area code will not affect your connection to NH resources. Additionally, you may call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
HARM REDUCTION SAVES LIVES! Please take care and reach out for support.
